The fire, according to provisional data, has consumed over 12,000 hectares of land, devastating crops such as olive groves, almond orchards, vineyards, orange groves, and beehives. The blaze, which began in Poiares, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, rapidly spread to the neighboring wine-producing regions of Torre de Moncorvo and Mogadouro in the Bragança district.
Nuno Ferreira, the Mayor of Freixo de Espada à Cinta, emphasized the need for swift and effective government responses to restore what was lost by residents in recent days.
“The fire that started in Freixo de Espada à Cinta burned approximately 9,000 hectares in the first six hours alone, eventually encompassing nearly 12,000 hectares,” the mayor stated.
According to Nuno Ferreira, about 6,500 hectares burned specifically in Freixo de Espada à Cinta, with 1,000 of those being agricultural land, impacting around 298 individuals.
“Restoring these various crops requires a rapid response. The municipality has been providing all necessary support, supplying 90 tons of feed for animals as pastures were ravaged by the fire. We are also undertaking interventions in the apiculture sector,” he noted.
José Meneses, Mayor of Torre de Moncorvo, expressed hope that cooperative efforts with central authorities would assist communities left with nothing, particularly in Mós and Macieirinha.
“The government’s announced support may not be sufficient for our populations, as the losses will persist for five or six years, affecting crops like vineyards, olive, and almond trees,” he remarked.
Meneses highlighted that many in the region rely solely on agriculture and require support beyond what the municipality can offer.
The mayors from the southern part of the Bragança district discussed these concerns during a visit by Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho to the Douro International, assessing damage from the August 15 fire.
The Douro International fire ignited on August 15 in Poiares, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, the hardest-hit municipality, and quickly spread to neighboring Torre de Moncorvo and Mogadouro, leaving a trail of ruin across pastures and crops, including olive groves, almond orchards, vineyards, orange groves, forests, and beehives.
Provisional reports from the GNR indicate that around 12,000 hectares burned in the areas of Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Torre de Moncorvo, and Mogadouro, with approximately 400 operatives on the ground but no air support available due to adverse weather conditions.
